Farewell to Hull, Peterborough and Wolves after a crazy last day

06 May 2013 11:05

The Championship season came to an end on Saturday. It saw Hull pip Watford for promotion and all of Barnsley, Huddersfield, Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday breath a huge sigh of relief as Peterborough and Wolves went down. KC Stadium to host Premier League football again in 2013/14

It was only a day when the Birmingham v Blackburn and Charlton v Bristol City games, alongside ours against Ipswich, counted for nothing as clubs fought for second place, then the next six and finally to avoid those two extra relegation places.

Able to sit relaxed watching the Clarets there was news coming through from grounds that saw the picture change time and again, and even up at the top where Watford never made second place during the day there was some real drama.

The game at Vicarage Road was delayed for almost 20 minutes because of an injury to goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. That meant that Hull, after missing a penalty and then conceding one, both in stoppage time, had a long wait knowing that Watford, who were drawing 1-1, would go up instead of them if they scored again.

As it happened they conceded after a shocking mistake from substitute goalkeeper Jack Bonham. It means it's the play-offs for the Udinese franchise and they'll play Leicester after another dramatic finish changed things.

Bolton were sitting on sixth place with a 2-2 draw against Blackpool. That was good enough as long as Nottingham Forest and Leicester drew at the City Ground. They were until Anthony Knockaert scored a dramatic winner to steer Leicester and their inspiring manager Nigel Pearson into the top six with Bolton resigned to another year in the Championship.

Another year in the Championship was music to the ears of the supporters of Barnsley, Huddersfield, Millwall and Wednesday. I'm not sure whether all of them spent time in the bottom three at some time during the afternoon, but there is every chance they did.

There was to be one last dramatic twist here. It didn't feature Wolves. According to their manager Dean Saunders they created eight good chances and missed the lot at Brighton. He said similar last week when we beat Wolves so I think that ensures we can dismiss his claims.

Wolves never threatened the miracle they needed but the last relegation place was in doubt right until the end. Peterborough must have thought they'd escaped when they led with 83 minutes gone at Crystal Palace with, as it turned out, only a draw needed, but they conceded two late goals, the second coming from a shocker of a free kick decision.

One Ferguson might be a Premier League winner again but the other was on his way down as Huddersfield and Barnsley celebrated by allowing one goalkeeper to keep hold of the ball for the last two or three minutes of the game knowing both were safe.

It's been a strange season and how things have changed since the turn of the year. Since New Year's Day a league table would show Middlesbrough bottom with only 12 points; Bristol City and Millwall next with 19 points.

Brighton, with 41, have four points more than next best Watford and up towards the top are Charlton (4th), Barnsley (6th), Sheffield Wednesday (7th) and Peterborough (8th).

We are 13th but two of the teams in the play-offs, Crystal Palace and Leicester, are below us so that should surely leave Watford and Brighton as the favourites to challenge for the one remaining Premier League place.

The police state operation will come into force for the Palace v Brighton semi-final; a simply shocking state of play when football supporters are required to carry id with them to go and watch their team. It stinks almost of the Thatcher idea of the 1980s.

I don't know what's going to happen there. I know the FSF are getting involved and I hope the supporters of the two clubs fight this shocking nonsense vehemently.

So, 19 of next season's Championship clubs are confirmed. Three of the play-off contenders will be added to that with one more to come from each of the Premier League and League One.

That's it for another season, a season that has seen us bring in an average attendance of 12,928. Only Barnsley (10,207), Millwall (10,559) and Peterborough (8,215) have attracted less.

Those last results and all the stats are below along with the league's leading goalscorers, each club's disciplinary record and the highest and lowest attendances with three of the top ten coming on the last weekend.